Proposition 65

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Driven by the continuous demand of more eco-friendly packaging materials for food and beverage products, there is a growing interest in the use of recycled packaging as part of a company’s sustainable initiative. Businesses, however, are well advised to pay close attention to the regulatory issues on the horizon that are presented by the use…

This post summarizes several regulatory developments related to cannabis and cannabisderivatives, including cannabidiol (CBD). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced it will hold a public meeting on May 31, 2019 and open a docket for public comments to obtain scientific data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale…

On October 9, 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule revoking authorization for seven synthetic flavorings and adjuvants as food additives. Notably, FDA’s rigorous scientific analysis determined that these additives do not pose a risk to public health under the conditions of their intended use. The agency acknowledges that these…

Last week, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), the lead agency that implements California’s Proposition 65, proposed an amendment to the existing regulation requiring: (1) the average concentration of a listed chemical as causing reproductive toxicity (e.g., lead) be based on products from the same manufacturing facility; and (2) the dietary exposure…

A California appeals court has reversed a trial court decision that would require businesses to post Proposition 65 cancer warnings on certain breakfast cereals for acrylamide. The court ruled that a Proposition 65 warning for acrylamide on these cereals would pose an obstacle to the federal scheme, and therefore is preempted by federal law. To…

On Friday, June 15th, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) announced a proposed regulation clarifying that exposures to Proposition 65 chemicals in coffee do not pose a significant cancer risk. The proposal follows a recent California Superior Court ruling that the coffee industry failed to meet its burden of proof on its…

Food companies and retailers doing business in California should take note of the recent proposed statement of decision in the case challenging the coffee industry’s failure to warn of the presence of acrylamide in coffee under Proposition 65. On March 28, 2018, the Superior Court of California at Los Angeles County issued a proposed statement…

The Proposition 65 Interim BPA warning regulation that allows companies to rely on a generic warning posted in California retail establishments will sunset on December 30, 2017. Food and beverage companies that have BPA containing packages in California and that have been relying on the interim BPA warning regulation for compliance should reassess their Proposition…

Effective September 30, 2017, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Analysis (OEHHA) will require warnings for consumer products containing furfuryl alcohol under the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (also known as Proposition 65). Furfuryl alcohol is a food contaminant that can occur in a potentially significant number of thermally processed foods…

Food companies should be aware of a recent, new wave of Proposition 65 (Prop 65) challenges targeting acrylamide in food. In the past year, private litigants—particularly the Center for Environmental Health (CEH)—have filed numerous 60-day notices indicating their intent to sue food companies that allegedly fail to warn consumers of harmful levels of acrylamide…